Ryan Hardwick on his way to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021?

Ryan Hardwick could make his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut as early as next year. The Bronze driver received an invitation to the French Classic from the IMSA after winning the 2020 Bob Akin Award which rewards the best Bronze or Silver driver in GTD as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

As a reminder, the American finished second in the final championship standings with Patrick Long in the number 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. The two men, accompanied for the occasion by Jan Heylen, won the 12 Hours of Sebring in GTD last weekend.

“My heart and soul are filled with immense gratitude. It’s finally starting to sink in regarding what our team accomplished together at Sebring. I am so unbelievably thankful to have been part of such a historic win. This was a monumental win for our team, sponsors, family and friends, to earn our first IMSA Weathertech Championship win at what is commonly referred to as the toughest endurance race on the planet, is a major milestone. Taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of my goals at some point. It really depends on the type of offers, team, budget and availability next year, I'll think about it, but the next step is Le Mans, it's a new goal. I would love to do it next year and, in addition, with Pat (Long, the latter already having 15 participations at Le Mans, note) . ”

In the meantime, the 40-year-old is expected to return to GTD with Wright Motorsports in IMSA next year, still associated with the current official Porsche driver.